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Duil Holidays
Holidays are taken very seriously in the kingdom of Duilintinn, and have large celebrations in the city of Cordoire. Duilintinn's holidays focus on two major themes: Renewal and Growth. Both play a thematic role in each holiday, with one or the other at the forefront. Renewal is the major focus for the holidays in the first half of the year, celebrating the fresh start and personal blessings ahead of you. Growth is the theme of the holidays in the latter half of the year, celebrating what you've learned about yourself in the past six months and applying that to a better, hopeful future. Renewal Holidays February The month of February has the first holiday of the year. February is the month where a day of "universal love" is celebrated, from romantic to platonic to familial love and everything in between. This holiday is a reminder to appreciate all of the loved ones around oneself, to reconnect with those one has lost touch with, and to be grateful for the amazing people you have in your life. Renewal of these relationships builds a great support structure for the year ahead. April In April, new life is celebrated, from plants to children. Families with babies born in the last year all gather with the rest of their community to celebrate the new baby that's been brought into the world. It's tradition to pick the first few flowers of spring and "give" them to the babies as a reminder of the renewal of life all around them after the winter. In House Brody, where farming and livestock are incredibly prominent, these celebrations often include traditions involving baby animals and planting seeds in the fields. In House Jameson, it's traditional to paint flowers on broken pieces of pottery and stones. It's a fun way to represent that there are ways of giving life and new meaning to even the most broken, seemingly useless things. Especially because, in the climate of the Southern Mountains, flowers probably won't have started growing yet in April. Those who celebrate Christian holidays will also celebrate Easter sometime around this month and the themes of new life inherent to that. June June is the final renewal holiday, and it celebrates the renewal of self. Most young people begin their houseless gap years in June, and some people planning on switching houses will do so this month for luck. June is the month of reflecting upon oneself and preparing for what's next. This theme is placed in the center of the year (rather than the beginning) to remind us all that it's important to take time for yourself and prioritize your own well-being before reaching out and giving to others. Generosity and compassion are good, but doing so to the detriment of your own mental health is not. Adults in Duilintinn will celebrate the holiday with a day off from work and public displays of their progress and things they are proud of. An artisan might show a display of works from the previous year, a scholar might put up an informative sign explaining their findings, a messenger might post maps of their travels, etc. Since very few things are open for business on this day, many people spend half the day in quiet reflection upon themselves and then half the day wandering their communities and praising the progress and growth of others. Not only does it help bolster the recipients' sense of self, but it's a tradition to usher in the second half of the year; one of giving and growing together. After this period of reflection, it's time to move forward and continue with that renewed sense of self. The June Holidays officially mark the beginning of the business year, followed in July by the Trade Season. Growth Holidays August August is the holiday focusing on the growth of the mind and truth. Many people spend the day telling old stories, destroying false information, and spreading truth and learning to the rest of the kingdom. It's common practice to find volunteers working to build a new school or collecting books during this holiday. Other adults will spend the day attending or being part of debates, presentations, and other scholarly events. While this would seem boring to children, there is a fun tradition to keep it interesting for them. On this holiday, anyone who lies, even a silly white lie, gets playfully called out for it, much like how you'd tease someone not wearing green on the irl St. Patrick's Day. Well-mannered kids live by the statement "don't say nothing if you have nothing good to say" on this holiday, while rowdy kids will take the opportunity to absolutely rip into their entire families with the truth. To absolutely no one's surprise, House Schneeplestein goes HAM on this holiday. October (Hallows' Eve) See More: Hallows' Eve October is the holiday focusing on the growth and spread of magic and imagination. This is, oddly enough, the opposite holiday to the one in August. Hallows Eve, the day when all magic good and evil are strongest, falls in this month, and many enjoy the new abilities and silly games and traditions that they can do on this day. People dress up all funny, there's lots of candy and playing pretend, etc. This is the favorite holiday of children and many members of House Marvin. December December is the holiday focusing on the growth of joy and contentment. This holiday is all about celebrating the progress of this past year OR to find a light beyond the darkness of the past year to encourage you to keep moving forward. Spreading that comfort and encouragement with others, along with the giddy joy of completing another year together, is the biggest, bestest part of December holidays. That, and thankfulness. The celebrations begin early in the day and last long into the night. The duality of "Grow and celebrate others" and "ha, new year, thank goodness, new start, I made it" reflects the duality of June's holiday. Just like in June, this small focus on self, renewal, and contentment leads the kingdom into a new year. Most of the specific celebratory traditions that take place in Duilintinn during the December Holidays bear a close resemblance to how the Celts celebrated the Winter Solstice. Other Holidays All of the houses celebrate the same six major holidays, but there are many others that are only celebrated by certain communities. Trade Season See More: Trade Season The July Trade Season takes place exclusively within Cordoire, hence why it is not on this list despite its significance. Religious Holidays See More: Religion in Duilintinn Religious holidays also take place within Duilintinn, celebrated by their respective devotees. I briefly mentioned Christian holidays on this list, and I'd like to incorporate other holidays from other religions as well. However, but I don't know a ton about them, and I don't want to do it badly. So, if you guys celebrate other holidays, let me know how you think they'd fit! House Preferences Some houses will definitely get more enthusiastic about one holiday over the other. House Brody loves April, House Schneeplestein loves August, House Marvin loves October, House Jameson loves June, House Jackie loves February, and everyone loves December. Many people will travel to these houses to experience their unique celebrations during their respective favorite holidays, similar to how people will travel to New York City to watch the ball drop on New Years' irl. Trivia * Events of The Watch AU are lined up with real world events. Thus, the Holidays are lined up with Sean's charity livestreams, which, in 2018, were every other month on average. Category:Messy Page